86. Castle Siege
Reina, as if cleaning, used gravity magic to clear the rubble from her path, walked out of Eisentapha Fortress, spread her dragon wings, and flew into the sky amidst the indistinct smoke and mist, landing on top of Eisentapha Fortress.
Eisentapha Fortress was built amidst a ring of mountains, its entrance facing a vast plain.
Because of its strategic location, easy to defend and difficult to attack, it had once served as an important human stronghold.
Now, it was a desolate and abandoned castle.
“[Gravity]”
Reina channeled her magic, creating a whirlwind that blew away the dust and smoke, clearing the air around her.
Beneath and around her were scattered scorching rubble and burning iron scraps, emitting a pungent, metallic smell. This was the damage caused by catapults.
Reina knew very well why they had done this.
—To prevent the [Greater Teleportation Magic Circle] from activating successfully.
As long as Eisentapha Fortress was reduced to rubble, the Greater Teleportation Magic would have no space to function, and they would lose the opportunity to receive reinforcements.
Looking out, the vast plain stretched before her.
But what Reina saw wasn’t mountains, rivers, trees, or flowers.
It was a sea of beastmen. In the dim light, their dark skin was like that of demons in the night, their exaggerated, massive bodies and huge fangs, and the weapons in their hands, as numerous as the stars, impossible to count.
Reina truly experienced the feeling of “dark clouds pressing down on the city, about to crush it.”
Eisentapha Fortress was composed of several layers of walls, forming one solid line of defense after another. But no matter how strong the walls were, they seemed fragile in front of these beastmen—they had even chosen to directly siege the fortress, despite Eisentapha’s reputation for being impenetrable.
Massive siege weapons were interspersed among the beastmen, inspiring both awe and fear. And just now, these exaggerated weapons had launched three rounds of bombardment on Eisentapha.
Reina leaped and flew to the outermost wall of the fortress. Now, she was only a few dozen meters away from the beastmen at the front lines.
With heavy footsteps, a ten-meter-tall giant with a golden axe and a face covered in scars walked forward, like a moving castle.
Before him, even Donald seemed like a frail child.
Three meters was the limit for ordinary orcs, strong soldiers could reach five meters, and generals could reach seven or even eight meters.
But the size of the orc before her was simply unimaginable.
He exuded an aura and presence that Donald couldn’t even compare to.
“I am [Silent Golden Statue].”
The deep, sharp voice said:
“You are Azure Scale. Under the Beast King’s orders, I advise the dragon race to retreat immediately. Once we obtain Sophia’s head, we will withdraw our troops and have nothing more to do with you.”
“Calm down, orc. Where does your confidence come from?”
Reina mocked him mercilessly.
“You’re like a group of animals who don’t even know how to knock on a door.”
“Very well.”
Silent Golden Statue naturally knew that she had refused. He put down his golden axe, his expression as emotionless as his title.
“Are you alone?”
“The Beast King has dispatched four Titan-class, hundreds of Champion-class, and tens of thousands of elite soldiers. Are you the only one here to fight?”
At this moment, Reina noticed a swarm of black dots in the northern mountains, like crows, approaching silently under the cover of night, blotting out the sky.
[Grieving Feather Statue]
Suddenly, a beast’s roar came from the southern mountains. Reina looked over and saw a group of pig-men, a branch of the orcs. Their leader was covered in black bristles, his size no smaller than Silent Golden Statue’s.
[Joyful Sinking Statue]
Now, the three forces formed a pincer attack, surrounding Eisentapha. Just now, it was this scene that had filled the blood race with despair.
The gazes of all three armies were now fixed on Reina, standing on the city wall.
“Thump, thump, thump—”
“Thump, thump, thump, thump—”
The orcs beat their war drums.
“To deal with you, the Beast King has dispatched his main force. Be grateful for this honor, Azure Scale.”
Silent Golden Statue said:
“Blame your dragon race’s incompetence. Now, we have to take both Queen Sophia’s and your heads!”
He suddenly swung the golden axe in his hand, grabbed the chain attached to it, spun it at high speed, and then hurled it like a missile.
But to his surprise, the golden axe stopped mid-air.
As if stuck in a time warp, no matter how hard he pulled, it wouldn’t budge. Suddenly, Golden Statue remembered how Donald had died.
“I am a tier-two high-ranking demon! You being able to easily block my attack means you must be tier-three!”
“—Ptooey.”
Reina flicked her finger, sending the axe flying back towards Golden Statue. He originally intended to catch the blade with the chain, but was unexpectedly sent flying backward, almost falling to the ground. His massive body crashed into a large number of orcs, sending them sprawling.
“Sorry, I’m not your opponent.”
At the same time, on the plains, a chilling white mist, reaching up to their ankles, appeared beneath the orc army.
Just as the orcs looked around in confusion, several white bone claws burst out of the ground!
Almost instantly, countless towering skeletal figures rose from the earth, their empty eye sockets replaced by ghostly blue flames, an eerie sight.
“Everyone, beware of the necromancer!” Golden Statue roared, his voice loud enough to reach the entire plain, but it was too late.
A large number of orcs were impaled by the undead emerging from the ground, blood spraying everywhere. The entire plain instantly turned into a meat grinder.
Their massive bodies became a burden at this moment, their formation scattered by the countless skeletons, their ranks broken. The dead orcs were quickly controlled by the undead, becoming White Scale’s puppets.
Golden Statue tried to help his subordinates carve a path through the chaos, but unexpectedly, a golden dragon descended from the sky, blocking his path.
He looked up at the old yet vigorous dragon:
“It’s been a long time since I’ve encountered such a powerful opponent. I hope I can learn a few moves from you.”
On a distant cliff, [Joyful Sinking Statue], seeing the orcs’ plight, immediately gave the order:
“Attack! Follow me down the mountain and take Sophia’s head!”
“Oink, oink, oink—!”
But before they could take a few steps, a flash of pink sword light streaked across the sky, the stone beneath their feet cracking and collapsing, sending a large number of pig-men tumbling down the cliff.
Sinking Statue looked up in dismay and saw a dragon wielding a katana looking down at him, pink flames burning on her wings, like a demon.
“Sister Reina, you were right.”
“These guys seem easy to deal with.”
At the same time, the winged beastmen, trying to bypass the defenses and attack Eisentapha Fortress from within, were surprised to see hundreds of dragon knights in gray armor on their path. A few beastmen tried to break through but were cut in half without exception.
[Grieving Feather Statue] was a woman with a brown, half-human, half-bird form, her figure frail and delicate. Seeing the organized Dragon Knights, she originally intended to retaliate, but a giant, flaming dragon flew towards her, forcing her to dodge.
The one at the center of the Dragon Knights was Fire Dragon, wielding the Fire Dragon Greatsword.
“Hahaha, Big Sis was right, these guys are so weak~”
“Be serious,” Azure Dragon, following close behind, reminded her.
At this moment, including the winged beasts, the orc army was in complete disarray.
Reina flew in the sky, overseeing the entire battlefield, but she suddenly realized something.
The main reason for the orcs’ initial defeat was their misjudgment of the situation.
The teleportation scrolls Reina had prepared were actually useless. She hadn’t intended to send her army to Eisentapha Fortress at all.
Instead, she had dispatched the strongest individuals she could mobilize.
All the [Demon Moons] were deployed.
Reina was fully aware of the characteristics, threats, and weaknesses of the orc legions.
The orcs were just like the undead controlled by White Scale; her necromancy was enough to form an army.
Liya alone could deal with the pig-men. She excelled at fighting tough opponents, and if nothing unexpected happened, she only needed a few strikes to completely defeat [Joyful Sinking Statue].
And the winged beasts, the Knight Order could easily suppress them.
Reina had fought far more difficult battles than this.
This time, it was practically no challenge for her.
She knew the enemy’s every move.
But the question was,
—Why weren’t the orcs using the Goddess’s treasures?
Just then, the succubus Ann flew to her side and voiced her concern:
“It’s the nuke. It’s coming.”
“Control the situation, Lady Reina.”
“As you predicted, he’s coming.”
The war had already begun.
If it were now, it should be about time…
At that moment, a lightning bolt flashed across the sky, exploding like a bomb. The indiscriminate shockwave destroyed countless of White Scale’s undead and obliterated the struggling orcs.
—The Beast King.
Reina chuckled wryly.
The real battle had just begun.
And at the moment of his arrival, a golden light shimmered on the bodies of [Silent Golden Statue], [Joyful Sinking Statue], and [Grieving Feather Statue]—Goddess’s Treasures, even stronger than the ones Donald possessed.
“Roar—!”
Gold Scale and Golden Statue were originally sparring, their swords clashing under a rain of light.
Gold Scale showed absolute dominance in the battle, practically toying with his opponent.
But suddenly, Golden Statue went berserk, his eyes rolling back, his muscles bulging, emitting an ominous crimson aura. His combat power instantly multiplied several times over, quickly suppressing Gold Scale and forcing him into a bitter struggle.
Reina carefully recalled and finally came to a conclusion.
The Goddess’s Treasure, [Crimson Phosphorus Ointment].
Shining Scale was the most efficient. She had already used her signature slashes to cut the pig-men into pieces, their regenerative abilities useless. All the pig-men, including Sinking Statue, were dead.
“Hahaha—!”
Sinking Statue, his head already a grotesque mess, suddenly laughed. His head and dismembered body miraculously reassembled, forming a new monster. But he was still dissatisfied, growing larger and larger as he devoured more and more corpses, his body becoming increasingly distorted.
He resisted all of Liya’s subsequent attacks and, in just a few dozen seconds, evolved into a giant ball of flesh.
“I’ll crush you all!”
The Goddess’s Treasure, [Consume All].
It was supposed to be a more powerful treasure, but it was only being used to devour flesh and create a larger meatball, a bit of a waste… but still quite troublesome.
At this moment, [Grieving Feather Statue], the Azure Scale Knights’ opponent, also began to use a Goddess’s Treasure. A golden cloak appeared on her body, and with a wave of her hand, she summoned a large, semi-transparent golden wall, blocking all of Fire Dragon’s attacks.
The situation on all three fronts shifted the moment the Goddess’s Treasures were used.
…These were all incredibly powerful treasures, completely different from the mostly “accessory” type treasures Reina had collected before.
“Lady Reina, what should we do now?”
Ann saw the tense situation.
“I’ll protect Calysia. Don’t worry, this is still within my expectations. You go provide support.”
Ann nodded, bid farewell to Reina, and flew towards the battlefield.
But 30 seconds later, a figure flashed and appeared before Reina.
Reina quickly dodged, minimizing the damage she received. As expected, the lightning didn’t hit her directly, but the resulting shockwave sent her flying thousands of meters into the air.
Reina steadied herself and calmly locked her gaze onto the man who had just appeared before her.
He was floating in the air, as if walking on air. Compared to the ferocious beastmen, he looked more like a young man. He was the Beast King.
He was strong!
Reina was absolutely certain that the Beast King before her was one of the few Four Kings of the Realms who surpassed the previous difficulty level. Perhaps it was due to the Goddess’s Treasures, but regardless, he was a formidable opponent.
But it wasn’t an insurmountable challenge yet.
“Not even flinching, just a little effort.”
“Azure Scale, you’re truly strong, being able to withstand my attack. Just like the rumors say.”
“This is the first time my subordinates have faced such a difficult battle!”
“Hahaha—!”
The Beast King extended his hand, ruffled his short red hair, and laughed heartily:
“Azure Scale, join me!”
“I, the Beast King, am destined to conquer the entire world!”
“You are a unique dragon. Now, I invite you to witness the glory of the beastmen, not the mutual destruction of the Four Kings amidst suspicion and chaos.”
“It’s better to join me than to perish with the Dragon King, isn’t it?!”
The Beast King’s expression was sincere, his voice loud, like a drunken man laughing boisterously. He wasn’t arrogant, but genuinely interested in Reina… Reina knew this.
“…Is your brain wired wrong, Beast King?”
“Why wouldn’t I be? Besides, have you truly won this battle?”
Just then, a golden light pierced through the darkness, and all the demons present looked up in unison.
What was emitting the golden light was a bell woven from light attribute magic.
At the same time, the sound of disorganized yet rhythmic footsteps was like a disturbing rain.
The Beast King frowned and lowered his head, shielding his eyes from the dazzling golden light. But when he looked up again, he found that the western plains and the cliffs to the north and south were filled with humans!
—It was the army of the Church of Light!
They had even mobilized all their main forces.
At the front was a golden-haired human girl, her hands clasped together, a smile on her face, bowing deeply.
“Goddess of Light, may you guide the path for us, your lost lambs.”
In this war, humanity was the true protagonist.
Although humans were weak, this time, they had dispatched all their forces.
And the orcs were just a part of the Beast King’s army.
Plus, their numbers had already been reduced by thirty percent by the Knight Order, their morale greatly diminished. Coupled with the tactical guidance provided by Reina, continuing to fight against humanity would be a fool’s errand.
Just as the Beast King was about to give the order, he was surprised to find that the dragons and the Knight Order, who had been fighting his subordinates, had all disappeared!
They had retreated to the most secure inner part of Eisentapha Fortress, guarding the negotiations.
And now, it was a war between the beastmen and humanity.
“I won, Beast King.”
Reina smiled.
So far, the dragon race hadn’t suffered any casualties.
Sophia and Calysia would join forces, and humanity would crush the orcs’ momentum.
“Hahaha—!”
The Beast King crossed his arms and laughed heartily, even clapping his hands.
“Azure Scale, you’re truly extraordinary!”
“We are indeed no match for you. With the humans, the Dragon King, and the blood race, even the Goddess’s treasures are useless!”
“Even if you fought me, the Dragon King and Sophia would immediately intervene, wouldn’t they?!”
“Excellent!”
“But, in terms of pure strength, can you fight me one-on-one?”
The Beast King grinned, a pure battle maniac, eager to fight Reina. He also wanted to know what Azure Scale, who had killed Donald, eliminated Crimson Scale, and countless others, was truly capable of.
Reina was also eager to fight.
The stronger the attack resisted by [Eternal Golden Radiance], the faster her level would increase.
In the past few days in the orcs’ territory, she had only gone from level 26 to 28.
And just now, after withstanding the Beast King’s attack, she had gone from level 28 to 30.
One could only imagine how terrifying that attack just now was.
“That won’t do, Your Majesty.”
Suddenly, an old man’s voice, seemingly coming from the void, startled Reina.
She abruptly turned around and found a man in black standing behind her, seemingly having appeared out of nowhere.
He was about 180 centimeters tall, and from his outline, she could tell he was male.
Although he was well-concealed, Reina realized that he was a member of the dragon race!
“What are you saying?”
The Beast King, clearly recognizing the man in black, said with a hint of reprimand.
“Go disrupt the meeting, don’t interfere with my fair fight with Azure Scale.”
“I apologize, Your Majesty, but I cannot obey.”
The man in black flashed and reappeared beside the Beast King, like a phantom.
“Azure Scale is our greatest threat. Let’s kill her quickly together, before she causes any more trouble.”
But the Beast King was clearly dissatisfied with the man in black’s judgment, even angry.
“Phantom Dragon, you’re disrespecting me!”
Reina froze.
This dragon in black, was he the long-lost Phantom Dragon?
He had actually joined the beastmen.
